Westmoreland - Bethel Town All Age

Bethel Town All Age Schoolwas founded in 1840 and acquired the name from its location. The school is situated on its original site and the physical plant consists of four buildings, with the main building erected in the 1970’s. The school is located in the rural Bethel Town District in Westmoreland, which is predominantly a low-income community.

All the students attending Bethel Town All Age are from the nearby communities of Bethel Town, Argyle Mountain, Galloway, New Mills, Castle Mountain, Chester Castle, Lambs River, Belvedere, Struie and Barneyside, all within a six-mile radius of the school. The teachers are also from these communities.

There are 345 students enrolled in the school, of which 53% are on the government social Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).

The support for school activities by the community is average. There is reliable transportation to get students and teachers to school on time.

The first school building was erected in 1938 and made to accommodate two hundred students. Over the years the school population has grown, thus, additional space was needed. A partly opened classroom was built to accommodate juniors from Grades 1-3. Both buildings and furniture soon became inadequate for the school population which made conditions unfavourable for purposeful learning.

In 1977 a new block was erected by the Ministry of Education. It was officially opened on the fourteenth of May 1978.

How will the funds be used?

The Pledge2Build campaign was
developed to raise funds for capital improvement of early childhood and primary
institutions across Jamaica. This is to ensure that the schools are safe and
provide children with a conducive learning environment.

The funds raised will be used to carry out the
following scope of works at the school: